Bridgeport appears to be down to one, Aresta Johnson, as the next permanent school leader.
From Linda Conner Lambeck, CT Post:
Angella Katrise Perera, one of two finalists for the city’s schools superintendent job has dropped out of contention.
Perera said Monday she had withdrawn her name and informed the search firm.
“I have another opportunity which I think I have better fit with,” Perera said.
Perera also said that since her candidacy was made public she was receiving inappropriate messages from people in the Bridgeport community via two social media accounts.
“It made me worried,” Perera said. “I am not even in the district yet. I am just an applicant. Going in with those type of messages did not leave a good taste in my mouth.”
Full story here.
She knows down the road (if selected) Maria Pereira would use Social Media against her. The vitriol she has so far endured is indeed a sign of what she should expect, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
She probably made the best career decision of her life by not coming to Bridgeport. The BBOE is broken and finding the upside of moving across the country for the crap one must endure from Dennis and Maria was probably just too much to take, along with the vitriolic posts.
Good for her, best thing she could have done. Who in their right mind would want to get involved in this mess?
A thankless job where you can’t count on the BOE or the school children’s parents. She can ask the last three supers just how much support they got! The state should take charge of the Bpt School system again, because it’s obvious those in charge now and the BOE are not doing the job! Anyway, Ms. Perera probably made a smart decision not taking the job!
I think former Mayor Bill Finch was on the money with a state takeover. It is a shame the public was not educated enough and I am certain many parents now wish the State were in charge. There is so much disappointment and disgust with the current Board. Mojo, I agree!
State takeover, privatization, school choice; all Republican ideals and not a good fit. To give up your voting rights on any position political in nature does not serve the good of the people.
Hector A. Diaz, this is a quote from Maria Pereira:
“The BOE controls the use of every school property, and fees charged, not the Mayor, City Council, or any individual or entity on the city side. We don’t need anyone’s approval; it is solely our decision.”
In Maria Pereira’s world, this also applies to the School Superintendent, BOE President and anyone she feels like controlling. If this is the way the district is going to continue to operate, I don’t care if the district is turned over to Russia. At least we would all know what to really expect. Besides, Maria makes it clear who is the Dictator.
Dictator Maria Pereira’s comment can be found here:
onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/ganim-state-must-invest-in-urban-schools/
Ms. Perera has a pattern of consistently looking for the next best thing. She would have not made a long-term investment to our children and Bridgeport.
She filled out the online application for BPS stating in part by writing “The opportunities are abundant in BELLEVUE Public Schools …” She is a finalist in Bellevue, Nevada and another school district, which informs me she cut and paste the exact same comments from her Bellevue application and did not so much as check it for accuracy. Applying for a Superintendent position responsible for 21,000 students earning upwards of $260,000, and something as basic as this was incorrect.
She submitted a draft plan for Bridgeport which stated she would address the “consent decree” and upon being hired she would meet with our “military leaders.” We are not dealing with a consent decree and have no military bases which means she simply edits this plan by changing the name of the school district.
She worked in Houston for one year, then she went to VA for four years, then she went to work for McGraw Hill in November 2015 but became unemployed this past December. She has never lived in New England and is a true southerner.
She has been a finalist five times since late 2013, and withdrew from a finalist position in Florida. She was never hired as Superintendent in any of these districts.
She was one of two finalists in Alabama in January and lost the position on a 3 to 2 vote.
Our Public Hearing is Wednesday from 6 – 8 pm, however she is one of three finalists for Bellevue, Nevada in which she must be at their community forum at 7:15 AM on Thursday.
If Mrs. Perera left Bridgeport at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, arrived at LaGuardia or JFK by 10:00 pm, arrived in Nevada by 2:00 am, checked into a hotel, showered, changed, and had to commute to her Nevada Forum by 7:00 am; she would have probably passed out and not been her very best.
There you have the real reason as to why she withdrew.
She definitely has a presence, flash, is articulate and intelligent. She was in my personal final three and two, but I would not have voted for her due to all the above.
Maria Pereira, you just the kind of person who would put other people up to harass, bully and intimidate others. We know you are the Donald Trump of Connecticut’s Democratic Party and we’re not surprised with your underground tweets.
No, I am not, I am actually the complete opposite. If I want to “harass, bully and intimate” you or anyone else I am more than happy to do it myself.
Joel, you lack any credibility.
Are you accusing me of sending derogatory or negative tweets to Ms. Perera? I don’t have a twitter account, therefore be careful of wild accusations and slander that you cannot possibly substantiate.
Let me get this straight. Maria Pereira, you recently posted this:
“The consultant wanted everything turned back in, but I refused. I read all of their applications, resumes, and conducted my own research.”
So we are to believe you conducted your own research and didn’t check on Perera’s twitter account? I believe you checked for anything you can use against her. You probably were hoping to find pornographic cartoons sent by Perera, but you found nothing. Don’t worry, I’m sure you know where to find them.
Then you posted this:
Maria Pereira // Mar 6, 2017 at 11:04 pm
I had a high-level staff person tell me “we only have room for one Pereira” I replied “I agree.” 🙂
We are to believe you had a discussion with “a high-level staff person” in which Ms. Perera was the subject and this is all that came out of the discussion?
“I had a high-level staff person tell me …”
Maria Pereira, thanks for calling me, but I don’t want or need to speak to you. I know what you were going to say anyway. Since we will not be talking, you can forget about you suing for “slander.” Slander is to say, not write. A BOE member who doesn’t know the difference between slander and libel? I believe it was Jennifer Harcourt Buchanan (R) who explained this to you once before.
Perhaps you should pay attention to your Republican colleagues and learn things from them.
There is nothing you or Ms. Buchanan can teach me. I did not call you nor do I have any interest in doing so. This would be my position on the matter even if I only had nine fingers.
Q: What’s the difference between Perera and Pereira?
A: Not the letter, but the word, ‘I.’
I had a high-level staff person tell me “we only have room for one Pereira.” I replied “I agree.” 🙂
Well as far as I can see there were two finalists for the BOE top job. How many actually applied? I don’t care what this job pays, it’s not enough when you look at the crippling BOE. This band of 9 is a disgrace. We should have had the State take over now for Miss know-it-all. People like Angella Katrise Perera do go from job to job and in most cases the changes are better for the people like Angella Katrise Perera.
This board is a joke, is useless and I challenge them to tell me how the school system has improved under their leadership.
I can’t believe anyone applied for the position. A simple Google search would alert them to the mess that this BOE has become.
Maybe Jan, someone wants the challenge. Someone who is not afraid of the BOE or its members. Maybe someone who does not shirk the challenge but welcomes it.
Maybe not you but someone who is much better.
Bob, I spent over 20 years in the public schools as a parent and on parent groups, as well as volunteering for things over those years. The current situation is an embarrassment. I’m very thankful my kids are finished with school, as they would have gotten nothing out of it at this point. The BOE has to stop the infighting from the top or nothing will ever be accomplished.
Good answer Bob Walsh, but one big problem is the other eight BOE members are afraid and tired of Maria Pereira.
Well rumor has it she is back in again.
I’m hearing that too!!!
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Perera-is-back-in-the-race-for-Bridgeport-schools-10984869.php
This city doesn’t like outsiders. It doesn’t matter how qualified you are. The political machine is hesitant of anyone not from Bridgeport. I hope she gets picked. Let the insiders squirm.